Fr. Matthew Moore
Father Matthew was born and raised in Iowa, the son of Thomas and Debra Moore. He was raised in the United Methodist Church until his late teens when his pastors and Sunday school classes encouraged him to deeper explore the Christian faith, and who it was who established the Christian Church. Even though the Orthodox Church is timeless, many western Christians are still unaware of the Orthodox Faith. Father then began to explore Roman Catholicism, and was convinced of the power in a sacramental life within the church. This posed a particular problem for Father, as he was enrolled in seminary to be ordained in the Methodist Church. But because Father felt a strong call to ordained ministry he felt that the Roman Catholic Church wasn’t in his future. He struggled for a few years as he tried to sort out what to do. He eventually decided to not seek ordination, and instead complete a degree in psychology in hopes to getting a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. This was a difficult decision for Father, but he was very blessed to have loving friends and mentors to help him sort everything out. But by this time Father had transferred to Indiana Wesleyan University for his psychology degree.
Father and Presbytera Jennifer were married in May of 2003, and by a strange coincidence were introduced to the Episcopal Church through Gethesemane Episcopal Church, pastored by Fr. Jim Warnock. Through a long discussion Father Jim counseled him that, looking at the scope of his life, that perhaps he should stop his psychology track and be a priest in the Episcopal Church. After all, it seemed very similar to Roman Catholicism but would permit married priests. And he also said something that struck Father Matthew…
“The most original Faith is the Orthodox Faith. But you have to be Greek, Russian, or Arabic, so strike that…”
Fr. Jim, over a plate of Chinese food.
Father graduated with a B.S. in psychology in 2005, got a job as a mental health case worker in a county mental health system, and after a series of events, in 2008, found himself enrolling at Nashotah House Episcopal Seminary in Nashotah, Wisconsin. But before that, from 2003-2008, he spent a lot of his time wishing he were Greek or Russian so he could serve as an Orthodox priest, to embrace the beautiful life found in Orthodox Christianity. He’d oftentimes lament his heritage to his wife, and show her pictures of Orthodox parishes, and share Orthodox theology with her. He had resigned himself to trying to be an “Orthodox” Episcopalian. But he was unaware how much things would change once school started.
The first month at school seminarian Matthew met Father Chad Hatfield, a graduate of Nashotah House, and an Orthodox Christian priest, as well as a number of other “regular” American, Orthodox priests. It was then he realized that even though there are a lot of different ethnic “flavors” of Orthodoxy, the Faith itself, as well as all the parishes, are open to everyone.
The Moores eventually were received into the Orthodox Church, and after two years of waiting, moved to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, MA. He graduated in 2014, was ordained by Metropolitan Savas of Pittsburgh, and installed at St. John Greek Orthodox Church in Charleston, WV, where he served until coming to Holy Trinity in Steubenville.
Father Matthew loves woodworking and is delighted to soon have a place to set up a new shop. He also is an avid practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, an especially-avid audiophile, a pizza maker, and loves to play video and tabletop games with his family and friends.
You can find Father Matthew at:
Father Matthew and Presbytera Jennifer are high school sweethearts. They have three incredible daughters (R>L): Adeline, Katherine, and Beatrice.
